ABSTRACT.The purpose of this study was to delineate physiotherapists' conceptions of establishing therapeutic relationships with patients and conceptions of activating the resources of the patients. Ten physiotherapists were interviewed about their ways of thinking and performing in the first encounter with the patient. The phenomenographic method was used and data were analysed qualitatively. Different categories of conceptions with reference to the preparations before the encounter, the proceeding of the encounter and the strategy within the encounter were found. Two main perspectives on the relationship between the physiotherapist and the patient were seen. One is that the relationship is based on a dialogue which aims to discover the patient̂s own conceptions of his problems and strategies to solve them. The second perspective is that the relationship is not based on a dialogue but that the physiotherapist perceives herself as authority. The physiotherapists' knowledge and understanding of establishing relationships with their patients can be described as personal, private and non‐themat